ISL 2021-22: Shabbir Ali picks ATK Mohun Bagan as favorites for the season’s first Kolkata derby [Exclusive]

Shabbir Ali enjoys legendary status in the realms of Indian football. Arguably the finest Indian striker of his time, Ali hung up his boots in 1985 to concentrate on coaching. Three-and-a-half decades later, he is counted among the country’s greatest football coaches.

Although a Hyderabadi at heart, Ali spent his halcyon days playing in front of Kolkata’s football-crazy spectators. The former Indian captain shares an umbilical cord with two of the “BIG 3” of Kolkata maidan – East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting Club. The Mohun Bagan fans, of course, lament their misfortune of never seeing the legend don the green-and-maroon shirt.

As East Bengal’s ace striker between 1978 and 1979, Ali induced fear in the hearts of the Mohun Bagan defenders whenever the two sides crossed swords in the Kolkata derby. He formed a lethal partnership with Surajit Sengupta, Mihir Bose, and Ulganathan up front and became an instant sensation among the red-and-gold fans because of his feisty temperament.

However, the times have changed now and the romanticism of the sport has been toppled by a veritable commercial boom. Yet, despite these extraneous factors, the epic rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan continues to sustain the country’s football system and safeguard its relevance at the global level.

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“Mohun Bagan have an advantage over East Bengal” – Shabbir Ali

2021 marks the 100th year of the Kolkata derby. It all started on 8th August 1921 when Mohun Bagan and the then newly founded East Bengal locked horns with each other in the Cooch Behar Cup. The match ended in a goalless draw, but its replay on 10th August saw Mohun Bagan register a 3-0 victory.

Since then, the arch-rivals have met each other 379 times across all competitions. The Red-and-Golds lead the head-to-head record 132-122.

With the Indian Super League securing top-tier status a couple of years ago, the inevitable need to enter the cash-rich tournament was strongly felt by both clubs. As a result, the two Kolkata giants sought assistance from corporate bigwigs to make their foray into the ISL.

In a bold move last year, Mohun Bagan and 3-time ISL champions ATK FC merged their respective football divisions to form a new entity called ATK Mohun Bagan FC. East Bengal, meanwhile, have joined hands with Shree Cement Ltd, a leading cement manufacturer, to be reincarnated as SC East Bengal.

Off the field, both teams have been mired in “investor versus club” controversies. On it, ATKMB have held the upper hand by virtue of winning the last two derbies 2-0 and 3-1 respectively.

On November 27 (Saturday), the biggest rivalry of Asian football will unfold once again in Goa’s Vasco da Gama as the two sides will compete for bragging rights.

Shabbir Ali, though, considers the Mariners favorites for the contest. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda on Friday, he said:

“You cannot predict anything [regarding the derby]. That said, I think Mohun Bagan have an advantage. They have a set team that played in the AFC Cup, so they’re in good shape.”

Ali’s two-year stint at East Bengal commenced with an emphatic 5-0 triumph against Bhratri Sangha. He went on to star in the derbies that followed and is fondly remembered for his goal in the 1979 Calcutta Football League derby that was equalized by Mohun Bagan’s Manas Bhattacharyya.

That year, Ali and Bhattacharyya became the joint-top scorers in the CFL for netting 23 goals each.

Shabbir Ali while playing for East Bengal. (Image Courtesy: Gautam Roy)

On being asked about the red-and-gold brigade’s current set of strikers, the Dhyanchand Award-winning coach replied:

“East Bengal didn’t do well last season despite appointing a big name like Robbie Fowler as their coach. What matters at the end of the day is the result. They have revamped the team and brought in some new players. You have to give the foreign strikers [Daniel Chima and Antonio Perošević] a bit of time to settle in. It’s a new squad, so the players don’t have the sort of understanding that is visible among the Mohun Bagan players.”

Shabbir Ali feels the excitement around the derby has fizzled out

The Mariners made the perfect start to their ISL-8 campaign with a commanding 4-2 win over Kerala Blasters FC in the season opener. SCEB, on the other hand, were forced to share the spoils with Jamshedpur FC despite taking the lead last Sunday.

Come derby day and the streets of Kolkata will wear a deserted look as people will be glued to their television sets to watch their favorite stars in action.

Notwithstanding the buzz generated by the fan groups on social media platforms, Ali feels that the excitement around the “boro match” has fizzled out over the years.

“The derby had an altogether different charm when we used to play. There’s a lot of hype on social media, but I feel the enthusiasm has gone down a bit,” the 65-year old opined.